CVE-2015-4539 in RSA Identity Management
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in EMC RSA Identity Management & Governance (IMG) before 7.0.0 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/19/2022
The CVE-2015-4539 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in EMC RSA Identity Management & Governance software versions prior to 7.0.0, specifically targeting cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that enable remote code execution through web-based attack vectors. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security weakness that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability exists within the authentication and authorization framework of the RSA Identity Management & Governance platform, which serves as a critical component for identity lifecycle management, access governance, and compliance reporting in enterprise environments.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through unspecified attack vectors that likely involve improper input validation and output encoding within the web interface components of the IMG platform. Attackers can leverage these XSS flaws to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content that executes in the context of authenticated user sessions. This allows for session hijacking, credential theft, and privilege escalation attacks that can ultimately compromise the entire identity management infrastructure. The vulnerability's impact is amplified because IMG systems typically handle sensitive authentication data, user access rights, and privileged administrative functions, making successful exploitation particularly dangerous for organizations relying on this platform for their identity governance operations.
The operational consequences of CVE-2015-4539 extend beyond simple script injection, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can be leveraged for advanced persistent threats against enterprise identity systems. Organizations using affected versions of RSA IMG may experience unauthorized access to privileged accounts, data exfiltration from identity repositories, and potential lateral movement within network environments through compromised authentication tokens. This vulnerability directly impacts the CIA triad by compromising confidentiality through unauthorized data access, integrity through potential tampering with identity records, and availability through potential disruption of identity management services. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that IMG platforms often serve as central repositories for user credentials and access permissions across large enterprise networks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-4539 should prioritize immediate patching of all affected RSA IMG installations to version 7.0.0 or later, as this represents the primary defense against the vulnerability. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms within their web applications, following secure coding practices that align with OWASP Top Ten security recommendations. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious script injection attempts, while regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other identity management systems. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patched environments to ensure that the XSS vulnerabilities are fully resolved and that no regression issues have been introduced during the upgrade process. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional layers of protection against similar attack vectors that may not be fully addressed by the vendor patches alone.